Shawnee Mission High School - Indian Yearbook (Shawnee Mission, KS)

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SCHOOL BOARD. Seated: Howard D. McEachen, Roy E. Welch, Richard V. Garrett. Standing: Mel Flowers, Kenneth P. Rankin, Charles A. Long. The five-man court handed down its ruling, and a new policy went into force at Shawnee-Mission. The legal tribunal, S-M's Board of Education, consisted of Messrs. Melvin Flowers, Roy Welch, Richard Garrett, Kenneth Rankin, and Charles Long. lf a legal problem concerning the district arose, or if the six schools in the area needed new equipment, this group gave the final go-ahead on such questions. These five men, chosen for four-year terms, were the only elected officials of the district. Issues arising from year to year included the pay- ment of faculty salaries and the sale of district bonds. ln addition, the board members devoted much time to the estab- lishment of special classes for improvement of reading, for handicapped pupils, and for particularly gifted students. The biggest problems of the court dealt with handling the in- creased enrollment of the area. Special attention was given to the construction of the new high school, as well as to the employment of new teachers to meet the growth of the student body. Working with its administrative official, Dr. McEachen, the board approved the division of the enrollment between the two schools, S-M North and East. The court awaited the next school term and the many varied cases the six schools would present to its members for decisions. five pilots form steering committee Dr. Mciachen, with an eye to the future, surveys Shawnee-Mission East. T8

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MURLIN WELCH Principal Growth, change, improvement . . . these were ready words in the vocabulary of Shawnee-Mission's principal, G. Murlin Welch. The growth of Shawnee-Mission provided many vivid contrasts with the past. Since coming to S-M in 1937, Mr. Welch witnessed startling changes. A student body of five hundred persons in 1937 grew into an enroll- ment of twenty-seven hundred in 1957. In twenty years, a faculty of thirty persons became a staff of nearly one hundred. But even more amazing were the increasing re- sponsibilities of the principal. Each day, Mr. Welch was confronted by a growing world of details concerning at- tendance, enrollment, schedules, and extra-curricular ac- tivities. Correspondence, public relations, and parent- teacher problems were added duties. All the details of administration were only the means of attaining the goal of Shawnee-Mission High School . . . education. The principaI's most important responsibility was guiding the school in achieving this goal. dministrators, plan Dr. Bruning? He could be-anywhere! As Director of Curriculum of' the entire Shawnee-Mission school district, Herbert Bruning was rarely seen any one place for long. Analyzing and studying new text books and workbooks seemed to be a never-ending task to him, however, this was not his only job. He also kept an up-to-date record of the academic preparation of the school's staff members, and worked with teachers in the continuous revision of classroom curriculum. Responsible for all matters pertaining to attendance, clubs, and discipline was Vice-Principal Carl lson. His job included keeping activity period running smoothly. Directing and supervising the activity programs, Mr. lson still found time in his busy schedule to help be- wildered students with their problems. The ever-growing administration received a new member in Guy Barnes, Ad- ministrative Assistant. While certainly not new to Shawnee- Mission, this was Mr. Barnes' freshman year at the new post. He supervised S-M's expanded transportation pro- gram which included revising bus schedules and routes, directing safety programs, and maintaining accurate in- surance records. Coping with these overwhelming tasks was a full-time job for S-M's corps of administrators. ners, educators Herbert Bruning, Director of Curriculum, Carl lson, Vice-Principal, and Guy Barnes, Administrative Assistant 17

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, Ki 3 53255 N V., M Q K Ugg..-. . .. . s s' W'5'5'Hi??'EfW5' ,..sm?s-Hsmwgr H' X.. i i 5 ggi sw-H Wm jfs, Q sr s s 2 H ' M ' .fm-ef we-- .-zsgm if frrarsgwiw ff s s Ertmiiix- fwmf r- iw' H 'sm vig 7,53 .,t,+ ,. HKS, Ls . 'K . QT K . A OFFICE STAFF. Back: Lola Atherton, Ted Kimpel, Bettye Hall, Margaret Phillips, Ella Louise Walter, Alberta Gallagher, Ellen Hays. Front: Nina Woods, Merle Sealey, Lorraine Parsons, Thelma Hughes. record collectors - business managers You're wanted in the office. This message usually sent terror into the mind of its hearer. While this was a common phobia, there was seldom any reason for it. Usually it was iust a check to see if a locker partner ever found the combination to the communal cubby hole, or the identification of a misnamed absentee. lnnumerable assignments confronted the office staff, and the increased enrollment multiplied its work. Compiling huge absence lists of over 600 students during the flu epidemic was a unique experience, while passing out the white absence permits and the dreaded pink excuses was a habitual duty. Behind a high counter setting off the office staff's domain, files housed transcripts and permanent records, all kept intact through the efficiency of the staff. Typewriters tapped con- tinually as S-M's correspondence was carried on, and the business of operating the six district schools was completed. Training a iunior staff to synchronize activities at the new high school provided an additional task. Calmly and cheer- fully these ladies handled the work that flowed through the office, even to aiding the desperate individuals attempting to get the time stamped on absence permits. Whatever the cause for a trip to the office, results were seldom fatal. The larger crime deserves the larger slip-the pink one! Ted decides the plight of B. J. Lewis and Susan Gillette. 19